Resources / Medication education
Psychiatric medications, explained the way we'd explain them in a visit
Medication questions deserve better answers than forum threads and worst-case stories. These guides explain how the medications we actually prescribe work, what they treat, what the first weeks feel like, and what we watch for, in plain language, with no hype in either direction. shrinkMD does not prescribe controlled substances, so you will not find stimulants or benzodiazepines here, but you will find the honest alternatives.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed June 8, 2026 · Editorial policy
Antidepressants
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications
The workhorses of outpatient psychiatry, for depression and most anxiety disorders.
SSRIs
Sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine and relatives: first line for depression and most anxiety disorders.
Read the guide →SNRIs
Venlafaxine, duloxetine: serotonin plus norepinephrine, useful for depression, anxiety, and certain pain.
Read the guide →Bupropion
The activating, weight-neutral antidepressant that works differently from SSRIs.
Read the guide →Hydroxyzine
A non controlled antihistamine used as-needed for anxiety spikes and sleep.
Read the guide →Mood, sleep, and more
Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and sleep
For bipolar spectrum conditions, psychotic disorders, and insomnia treated without controlled substances.
Mood stabilizers overview
How lithium, lamotrigine, and valproate prevent mood episodes.
Read the guide →Lithium
The oldest, best-evidenced mood stabilizer, and what the monitoring actually involves.
Read the guide →Lamotrigine
The depression-leaning mood stabilizer and the rash warning everyone asks about.
Read the guide →Atypical antipsychotics
What second generation antipsychotics treat beyond psychosis, and the metabolic trade-offs.
Read the guide →Sleep without controlled substances
Trazodone, ramelteon, doxepin, and why CBT-I still beats every pill.
Read the guide →How long do antidepressants take?
The honest timeline, week by week, and when to call it.
Read the guide →
Your prescription goes to your own local pharmacy the same day it is written.
Good medication treatment should disappear into an ordinary morning.
Our prescribing philosophy
How we decide, and what we refuse
Prescribing at shrinkMD follows a few fixed rules. The diagnosis comes first, because the right medication for the wrong diagnosis is just a side effect generator. We use the minimum effective dose, measured with PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores rather than guesswork. We tell you the realistic timeline and the likely side effects before you start, not after you're surprised. And your full medication history, every prior psychiatric medication with its name, dose, duration, and response, shapes every choice, which is why we ask for it at intake.
We do not prescribe controlled substances: no stimulants, no benzodiazepines, anywhere, for anyone. That is not a judgment of people who take them; it is a bright line that keeps virtual prescribing responsible and keeps our incentives clean. For deeper, drug-by-drug references reviewed by our founder, see PsychiatryRx.org in our network.
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Related conditions
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Will shrinkMD prescribe the medication I read about here?
Maybe, but only if an evaluation supports it. These guides describe options in general; your clinician's job is to determine what fits your diagnosis, history, and goals, which sometimes means recommending something different, or no medication at all.
Why don't you prescribe stimulants or benzodiazepines?
They're controlled substances, and we've drawn a bright line: responsible telepsychiatry, in our view, doesn't dispense them by video. We're upfront about this before you book, and effective with the evidence based alternatives.
Are generic medications as good as brand names?
For the medications discussed here, yes. The FDA requires generics to deliver the same active ingredient with the same bioavailability, and generics are what we usually prescribe, because the science is identical and the price isn't.
What should I bring to a medication discussion?
Every psychiatric medication you've ever taken, with the name, the dose, how long you took it, and how it went, both benefits and side effects. That history is the single most useful predictor we have.
Can I stop my medication once I feel better?
Not abruptly, and not alone. Stopping is a clinical decision with real technique to it, tapering, timing, and relapse-prevention planning, and your clinician will work through it with you when the time is right.
How do you choose between all these options?
Diagnosis first, then your history: prior medication responses, side effects you can and cannot live with, other medical conditions, other medications, and your priorities, sleep, weight, energy, cost. The guides on this page describe the menu; the evaluation picks the meal.
Do psychiatric medications change who you are?
Treated patients overwhelmingly report the opposite: feeling like themselves again. The goal is remission, you, without the disorder, and anything that feels like blunting or dulling is a dose-and-choice conversation with your clinician, not a price you must accept.
What does medication cost without insurance?
Most medications discussed here are available as generics, and the majority cost a few dollars to tens of dollars a month with pharmacy discount programs, often less than an insurance copay. Your clinician considers cost openly when choosing, because a medication you can't afford doesn't work.
Get answers specific to you
A full evaluation with a board certified clinician, as clinician availability allows. Honest prescribing, measured progress, no controlled substances.
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